Press Release Article

PORT AUTHORITY PREPARES TO LAUNCH MAJOR RECRUITMENT OF POLICE OFFICER CANDIDATES FOR FIRST TIME IN SIX YEARS

Date: Apr 26, 2013Press Release Number: 41-2013

This week’s Board action to provide age limit exemption for military veterans seeking to join PAPD will be incorporated in upcoming recruitment effort

The Port Authority today announced plans to launch its first major recruitment effort in six years for candidates for a future class of up to 175 police officers in 2014. The effort will reflect a newly revised policy approved by the Board of Commissioners that will maximize the ability of military veterans to become members of the Port Authority Police Department.

Beginning next month, the agency will begin a comprehensive effort to bolster the ranks of the Port Authority’s nearly 1,600-member police force. The goal is to create an extensive and current list of top-notch candidates for a new police academy class in 2014. The new recruitment effort will begin May 10 and run through June 17.

In preparation, the Board of Commissioners agreed to amend a policy that will maximize the ability of military veterans to participate. The existing policy prohibits individuals over the age of 35 from applying. The revised policy, which will be in place for three years, will allow veterans to deduct up to six years of active service from their age, thereby increasing the potential age limit for veterans up to 41. This change is compatible to New York and New Jersey policies that account for military service in determining eligibility of veterans applying for police jobs.

The policy is the most recent initiative the Port Authority has undertaken to aid military veterans. In December, the agency teamed with Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey to hold a clothing drive for veterans and last April, the Port Authority hosted a workshop for principals and representatives of service-disabled veteran-owned businesses to promote potential business opportunities for them.

“The Board action will help ensure that the highest qualified candidates are eligible to become members of the Port Authority Police Department,” said Port Authority Chairman David Samson. “Those who have admirably served our country deserve our unwavering support as do the men and women of the PAPD who risk their lives every day to safeguard Port Authority facilities.”

“Our goal is to find the best and the brightest candidates to preserve and protect Port Authority assets, which are some of the world’s most iconic and visited destinations,” said Port Authority Vice Chairman Scott Rechler. “This new recruitment and change to existing policy will allow us to expand our force and consider the extensive experience of military veterans who may have previously exceeded the age limit.”

“We are looking for exemplary candidates who want to be part of one of the nation’s most preeminent police agencies,” said Chief Security Officer Joseph Dunne. “Our efforts will ensure that we are building a police force for the future that will be second to none.”

To ensure the Port Authority is attracting highly qualified candidates, the new PAPD recruitment will include print and broadcast ads in major publications, and major outreach at colleges and universities, in local communities and at career day events held throughout the region. The agency also will post information on outlets dedicated to military personnel, host career events targeted to veterans, and partner with veterans’ organizations to reach vets who may be looking for a job in law enforcement. In addition, the agency will promote the initiative on the Port Authority’s website.

Candidates for the position of Port Authority police officer must be at least 19 years old to take the test, and at least 21 years old to enter the Academy. Candidates also must have at least 60 college credits or have two years of continuous military service with an honorable discharge to be eligible.

The new recruitment drive comes one month after the agency announced that it will use an existing list, developed in 2007, to select police officer candidates for an academy class that will begin in August 2013. That class will train up to 175 police officers, who will be on patrol in early 2014. The 2013 class is the second largest in Port Authority history, surpassed only by the 236 recruits who graduated from the academy in September 2002.

The PAPD protects the agency’s land, sea, air and rail facilities, including four airports, four bistate bridges and two tunnels, the Port Authority Bus Terminal, the PATH rail system, the regional ports in New York and New Jersey, and the 16-acre World Trade Center site.

CONTACT: Port Authority of New York and New Jersey 212-435-7777

Founded in 1921, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey builds, operates, and maintains many of the most important transportation and trade infrastructure assets in the country. The agency’s network of aviation, ground, rail, and seaport facilities is among the busiest in the country, supports more than 550,000 regional jobs, and generates more than $23 billion in annual wages and $80 billion in annual economic activity. The Port Authority also owns and manages the 16-acre World Trade Center site, where construction crews are building the iconic One World Trade Center, which is now the tallest skyscraper in New York. The Port Authority receives no tax revenue from either the state of New York or New Jersey or from the City of New York. The agency relies on revenues generated by facility users, tolls, fees and rents as well as loans, bond financing, and federal grants to fund its operations. For more information, please visit http://www.panynj.gov.